


magical dimples and fluffy ears (집으로)

by onlywheniwalkaway



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Acts of Kindness, Being Lost, Bonding, Fluff, Gen, Golden Retriever Hybrid Park Chanyeol, Hybrid Park Chanyeol, Returning Home, Sweet Park Chanyeol, Sweet Zhang Yi Xing | Lay, That's not how dogs work but whatever, Yixing is simply being Yixing: The sweetest human being on earth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:47:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25632316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlywheniwalkaway/pseuds/onlywheniwalkaway
Summary: chanyeol was only trying to find that sweet scent when he realized he was lost, and his owner was nowhere nearby.
Relationships: Park Chanyeol & Zhang Yi Xing | Lay, Park Chanyeol/Zhang Yi Xing | Lay
Comments: 7
Kudos: 46





	magical dimples and fluffy ears (집으로)

**Author's Note:**

> i was drunk and crying over the lack of human interaction, so this fluff is born to sate my sane self.

Chanyeol was only trying to find that sweet scent when he realized that his owner’s scent was nowhere nearby. He couldn’t smell his owner anymore.

In the middle of a park, it came to the golden retriever that this was not the same park where he was supposed to play.

As he grew wary of his surroundings and the many people around the park along with their hybrids, Chanyeol tried to trace himself back all the way, but he couldn’t take a step forward, too scared to go off on his own.

It wasn’t something he could control. Sometimes, something would just grab his attention, and the hybrid would zone out and usually find himself in a different place.

Usually, he would just trace his own scent back and find his way home in the previous and relatively safe neighborhood.

However, Chanyeol and his owner had only recently moved to the new area, and the fact that he was a different park for who-knew-how-far from his actual neighborhood meant that he was never going to find his way back to his owner.

Maybe, he could trace his own scent back, but there were just too many people along the way, too many roads to cross, too far from his home, too many unknowns. Chanyeol didn’t know, wasn’t sure if this was as safe as his previous neighborhood. And Chanyeol didn’t want to be taken, kidnapped, or brought back to the shelter. No, not the shelter.

“Hey, buddy...” a gentle from above whispered to him.

Apparently, the golden retriever hybrid had been hugging his knees, pressing himself against the park fence, crying in distress. His ears were floppy as always but in a disappointed kind of sense. His tail wrapped around his own waist desperate for comfort.

“Are you lost?”

Chanyeol should say no as he could be in danger. He didn’t know who this was.

“Hey, I’m only trying to help. I’m Yixing. I can help you find your home.”

At the mention of home, Chanyeol looked him up to a bright smile with dimples etched on the sides. Suddenly, Chanyeol was flooded with a honey scent that calmed his senses, and he wanted drape himself over the stranger. But he couldn’t. It was etiquette that hybrids must control themselves with scenting, especially living being’s scents, humans, and other hybrids. The golden retriever had been enticed by a sweet nectar scent along the way that made him lost and pathetically crying here. He wasn’t going to do that again.

Chanyeol backed away at the helping hand. He could be dangerous still. It was too much. Too much snot was in his airways, and he couldn’t use his nose properly to discern the situation.

“Awe, I promise I won’t hurt you.” The man knew not to approach as Chanyeol could be dashing away if he made the wrong move. The Yixing in question just sat comfortably on the grass an arm’s length from the golden retriever, his face donned a soft smile that appeared to melt Chanyeol’s heart. “You can trace your way back home, right? I can accompany you and look out for you. And I won’t do anything else. How about that?”

“You’ll walk me home?” a frail croak from the hybrid, and Yixing visibly cooed at the hopeful display in Chanyeol’s eye.

“Of course. What’s your name?”

“Chan-Chanyeol.”

“Cute.” Yixing breathed a giggle when Chanyeol blushed at the praise, arms wiping away his tears. “I would offer to lend my phone, but I just got back from work, and my battery is out. I’m sorry I couldn’t help contact your owner.” And borrowing strangers’ phone might also freak the hybrid out as he promised to stay on track, so the human was being really considerate.

Soon, Chanyeol was walking slightly ahead of Yixing trying to sniff his own scent and find his way back his owner. As long as there was a sliver of scent, he could just rush back, but for now, it was still too far, and he could only identify the faintest lingering of his own scent.

Along the way, Chanyeol found that Yixing turned out to be very delightful with fascinating stories of writing music and shaping choreography to the beat of a song. Chanyeol’s golden fluffy tail couldn’t help but beat to the mention of music. His owner loved music. His owner was a singer, and he himself dabbled in the likes of creating music of his own.

“You play the guitar? Wah! For how long?” Yixing’s eyes were bright and excited, lighting up the hybrid’s reply. Chanyeol had been warming up to the stranger for the past half an hour as he laughed at the dry humor and cluelessness of the dimpled human.

“Ah, it’s nothing impressive.”

“It is! I’ve been playing for twelve years now, and it doesn’t get old. Though there are times I have to take a break from it, I couldn’t stay away from it too long. I knew then that music is my true path.”

They stood at a crossroad waiting for the red stop so that they could cross. Chanyeol still couldn’t trace his owner yet, but his scent was still hovering around. How did Chanyeol even get so lost so far when there were so many obstacles along the way? The new scents in the new neighborhood must have excited him too much. Damn, his instincts. 

“I’ve been playing for seven years. It’s - it’s nothing really.” Chanyeol tried to suppress the beam on his lips when Yixing praised him, disregarding his self-depreciation.

“I’m sure you’re very good at it. Seven years means more than just a past-time activity.” Suddenly, the golden retriever had the urge to play for the dimpled human and see if he really like it.

As they crossed the road, another scent permeated the air, and it made the golden retriever whimpered.

“Ah... Are you hungry? Let’s get something first before we go on.”

Before Chanyeol could even refuse, Yixing had already dashed towards the only hotdog stand across the road. Clearly, Chanyeol couldn’t control the growl in his stomach at all, but his eyes crinkled when Yixing waved him over to choose his own hotdogs.

“But it’s your money. I don’t want to-”

“Shh... You can pay me back by eating with me at the rest stop.” Yixing smiled up at him. It was then that Chanyeol realized how handsome the human was, well, according to human standards anyway. Dark raven hair with a coma on his forehead, pretty eyes, pretty smile, pale skin. Though Chanyeol would say that the plain black t-shirt and trousers with a tattered black converse weren’t doing a very good job in adding to the visual, it wasn’t really hindering Yixing either.

Then Chanyeol found himself spilling his own story of getting too excited and being lost in a new place over their short hotdog break. The sun was setting by the time they started walking again. This could have been faster with buses, but Chanyeol didn’t ride a bus when he got lost, so they had to trace his scent back the old fashioned way.

“I just moved here about two months ago. A little longer than you and your owner.” Yixing smiled. Only then Chanyeol realized they were walking side by side instead of Chanyeol sniffing ahead all the time. “I’m sorry. You’re so adorable. I just want to pet you. It’s rude, I know. But I want to let you know anyway.”

Of course, Chanyeol wasn’t going to let a stranger pet him, but Yixing had been the nicest human being for the last hour, hadn’t tried to drag himself away from the trail of his own scent, and filled his belly with food. Perhaps, Yixing had graduated from being a stranger to a friend. Moreover, though their meeting had been brief, Chanyeol learned that Yixing was quite straight forward and didn’t hide his own intention he had towards Chanyeol, painting the air with a calm aura of a strange honey scent that had no trace of nervousness or deceit. Somehow, his owner and Yixing both had really calming and pleasant scents. And Chanyeol wouldn’t really be mad if he got to scent Yixing as well as his owner every day.

“If- if I get home, maybe...” the golden retriever offered shyly. It was really Chanyeol that wanted to rub his scent all over him, but he had to be polite as Yixing had been to him.

“Don’t worry. You will.”

And the topic was dropped when Yixing kept on talking about his hometown in China where his parents and grandparents resided. His passion for cooking was also something that piqued Chanyeol’s interests. The golden retriever couldn’t help it as the smaller human went on and on about his signature dumpling and dumpling soup, Chanyeol thought that maybe he was a better cook than his owner, wanting to have a taste. The hybrid shook his head, of course. He loved his owner in all aspects. He couldn’t turn back on his beloved owner....... Well, _on second thoughts_ , not the food part. His owner failed miserably at it.

It kept Chanyeol grounded the chatting. Although he was still too skittish to be opening up to the human due to his anxious state of trying to find his way home, he was happy and grateful that Yixing kept talking and got his mind off the stressful feeling, helping him concentrate on the scent in air. Plus, repressing the dominant trait in his golden retriever genes was really taking a toll on him as he wanted so bad to get pets from the dimpled human and shower him with his soft golden retriever face rubs and ear rubs.

It was then that Chanyeol heard it first, the screeching tires, a burning smell hit his nose, and then the force in air fluffed against his sensitive ears.

“Hyung, be careful—” Chanyeol had already pulled Yixing to his side as a biker sped past them on the sideway, clearly the dimpled human could have been really _really hurt._

Chanyeol couldn’t really suppress his urges anymore as he let slip the same protective instinct he had for his owner.

“Are you okay!?” Chanyeol gripped firmly at Yixing’s shoulders, scanning the human up and down for anything out of the ordinary. Of course, Chanyeol could smell the spike in nervousness in Yixing’s scent, but he couldn’t smell any blood.

“Oh… oh, thank you, Chanyeol. I’m okay,” The dimpled human smiled though it appeared a little strained, unlike his previous dimpled smile. “Just a little surprised.”

And Chanyeol didn’t miss the blush in Yixing’s cheeks when Chanyeol called him Hyung. Or maybe, it was because of him being too rough on the human? He did just drag Yixing quite harshly since the danger had been too close. The golden retriever wanted to let the human rub his ears so badly so that he could relax from the shock, but Yixing already patted his hands, gently pushing the hybrid’s arms off his shoulders. 

“It’s okay, Chanyeol. Let’s move on. It’s getting late.”

As Chanyeol was now skittish for a different reason, looking back and forth his surroundings, not only to distinguish his own scent but also look out for the human. He couldn’t help it. It was part of his instinct after all. And bikers really needed to mind the pedestrians. _Mental note: Bikers are now potential enemies. Beware of empty sidewalks._

Soon, in the middle of their conversation about their favorite song, Chanyeol spotted something far off in the corner. A pharmacy on the left. A convenient store on the right. A stupid ugly banner about discount clothes—

“Chanyeol? Is this place familiar?” Yixing must have noticed the glorious amount of tail wagging. The human merely chuckled when the tail was now just whacking against his waist as well. Chanyeol’s golden tail was pretty long and extra fluffy, so that was part of the bargain when they decided to stick closer to each other as they walked.

Then, there was a faint scent in the air. Soothing sweetness and cotton candy.

“Baek-hyung! I can smell him! Xing-Hyung! I can smell him!” And obviously an excited and happy puppy needed to show its excitement and happiness. These things could not be controlled, so Chanyeol jumped into Yixing’s space and embrace him with the warmest hug, tucking his big floppy ears into the side of the dimpled man’s nape, happily relishing in the calming honey scent.

Yixing only chuckled in response, and though he did not return a full hug, he did pat Chanyeol softly on the back.

And then they were off. Chanyeol was too damn eager to go home after losing the sense of security his owner for so long, pulling Yixing with him by the wrist, aggressively breathing in many lungfuls of air to find his owner.

“Chanyeol, slow down!” But there was no heat in his voice. Yixing was just as happy that the hybrid was no longer stressed out, letting his instincts really take over freely without fear of getting lost.

Closer and closer, Chanyeol then spotted him.

“Baek-hyung!”

“Yeollie!”

It looked like Baekhyun was already passing out flyers in the park where he had lost him, but Chanyeol got to him first. The golden retriever happily engulfed his owner and let him pick his huge hybrid body up, swinging him around out of relief, crying into each other’s embraces out of happiness.

“Yeollie! I’m so glad you’re safe! Don’t run off from me like that again! I told you to bring your phone too—” But Chanyeol didn’t really listen to the long list of complaints. He was just glad that he was setting his owner’s heart back to normal, getting rid of the stress and the strain. “What happened!?”

“Xing-hyung! Xing-hyung brought me home!” Chanyeol excitedly pulled to point at the now awkward human standing to the side witness their tearful reunion.

It was then that he noticed Baekyun’s chatterbox lips and Yixing’s friendly dimpled lips were suddenly quiet. Chanyeol tilted his head questioningly, tears forgotten. These two were supposed to be as chatty as him, what—

“Oh… I’m Yixing. Um, Zhang Yixing. You know, Chinese name.” Yixing’s face suddenly flared at his own mistake.

“I see Chanyeol has already attached himself to you…” Baekhyun was just as bashful, his feet now digging the dirt out of nervous habit. “And I’m Byun Baekhyun, Yixing. I’m Korean…”

As Chanyeol looked back and forth between his owner and his savior, the golden retriever smiled, knowing that this wouldn’t probably be the last time Yixing would be guiding him around with the way Baekhyun shyly thanking him like that.

“Dinner!” Chanyeol had seen many romantic movies. This would be the first time those trashy sappy rom-coms were useful. If he played his cards right, Baekhyun and Yixing could fall in love, and Chanyeol could get rubs from both Baekhyun and Yixing every day. A perfect plan. “We should have dinner! Baek-hyung, Xing-hyung can cook very well! He liked music and plays guitar like me! We’re meant to be! And, _and_ he could sing too! You two are meant to be, too!” 

That was the golden retriever genes taking over for being too excited, his tail was wagging so hard, he might fly off the earth and get lost again.

Knowing that his unfiltered words had rendered the humans even more bashful and speechless, Chanyeol brought his owner and his savior close and scented them both. There was no need for etiquette anymore. Chanyeol was pretty sure that Yixing couldn’t resist his fluffy goodness anyway. Everyone wanted to pet him, and Chanyeol was happy to exploit his own cuteness for the sweet, sweet rubs. 

“Pets, please!”

“I asked to pet him, and he said only when he got home, so… I’m sorry—”

“No, No! It’s okay! It’s— well, he’s done a good job of finding his way home, so…”

Chanyeol couldn’t see what was happening since he was rubbing his chin happily on Yixing’s shoulders and then back at Baekhyun’s. And when a moment too long with no words being exchanged, the hybrid whined.

Finally, he was getting rubs. Yixing on his left ear, Baekhyun on his right.

Yes. Heaven.

“And— you’ve done so much for me and Chanyeol that I could never repay with you with just a dinner,” Chanyeol drew back to watch the two facing each other a little too close for comfort since he had caged them in his hybrid hold. Baekhyun simply smiled, eyes lingering a little too long at the dimples. Chanyeol could understand the appeal. They were really pretty on his face.

“Ah… so multiple dinners then?” finally, the smooth talker Yixing was back, eyes crinkled at his owner’s blush.

Maybe, getting lost wasn’t so bad after all because when Yixing let him hold his hand on his left and Baekhyun held his right, Chanyeol knew that he might have accidentally brought back an extra owner who was just as happy to find Baekhyun at the end of their journey.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the music video: "Snail's House - Magical Holiday" about two wizards helping a fallen star and find his way back on the constellation.  
> link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AUO2bx7FvI  
> And the baekxing is just me being extra ;)


End file.
